hello there. welcome to "newsline." it's tuesday, january 29. i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. islamic militants have attacked a gas pipeline in algeria two weeks after a

hostage crisis at a gas plant in the sahara desert. two security guards were killed. seven other people were wounded. the militants attacked them in the region of djebahia, about 150 kilometres outside aljiers. the militants tried to blow up the pipeline but failed. algerian officials are hunting for the militants. they've been reinforcing security at oil and gas facilities since militants attacked one earlier this month in eastern algeria. at least 37 foreign nationals were killed. algeria's communications minister has defended the decision to storm the plant. he said soldiers saved hundreds of lives. >> translator: the militants kidnapped and killed innocent people, and they wanted to blow up the plant.

if the special forces had not stormed the plant, the consequences could have been far more serious. >> ten japanese were among those killed. but said said the militants did not single them out. >> translator: it was japanese workers that happened to be there on the day of the attack. i believe they were chosen because they were foreigners rather than because they were japanese. >> said said the militants began gathering information about the plant two months ago. he said government officials are investigating whether someone from inside passed along information. some analysts suggest the attack was timed to coincide with a visit by senior company officials. militants said they attacked the plant to retaliate for the

french intervention in neighboring mali. french voices landed in the former colony earlier this month to help government voices fight islamic rebels. now they've taken control of an airport in timbuktu. they destroyed muslim graves there. they said worshipping idols goes against their beliefs. the french and malian military are trying to, in his words, eradicate the terrorists. police officers in brazil have arrested four people in connection with a fire at a nightclub. at least 230 people died on sunday, and hundreds were injured. police are interviewing the club's owners and members of a band.

the musicians set off fireworks during their stage show. investigators believe the sparks set fire to the ceiling. the band members said fire extinguishers didn't work. police are still trying to find out why so many people were trapped. a chinese statesman has spoken in favor of warming up ties with japan. former foreign minister tan zechwan said he hopes ties can be broken. tan said japan and china have issues that can't be avoided, such as the dispute over the senkaku islands. the two leaders have been at odds since the national government nationalized the islands. china and taiwan both claim the territory in the east china sea. tang urged dialogue to settle the situation. he said communication is important for the nation and the wider world. officials all over north korea have convened in pyongyang for the first time in five

years. leader kim jong-un is planning an event of national importance. national defense leaders announced last thursday they will carry out a nuclear test. workers' party leaders then asked secretaries of what they call local cells to gather in the capital. the media said on sunday that kim had some of the country's top defense officials. reporters said the leaders determined to act in his nation's interest. tell us about the challenges in getting this country out of deflati deflation. >> getting price to rise is a major challenge.

it's money circulating the markets, company performance, customers appetite for buying things. then there's the challenge of will people be able to afford more. labor and business leaders in japan are butting heads over a proposed wage increase. >> translator: this year we intend to secure a pay hike and improve working conditions. we want to bring japan out of deflation. >> officials of the japanese trade union confederation are calling for a 1% increase in wages. they suggest firms use the money to improve working conditions. they also say seniority-based pay increases should continue. the leaders of the japan business federation say the demand ignores the realities of the current business climate. >> translator: the global ecomicutlo is ill uncertain.

and the risks of businesses are still high. >> leaders also say struggling firms may have no choice but to postpone regular raises. the document calls for record government spending of over $1 trillion. the finance minister put in an appearance on monday. the abe cabinet's first draft budget allocates over $770 billion to implementing policies. this includes grants to municipaliti municipalities. the budget earmarks nearly $245 billion for redeeming government bonds. tax revenues will exceed income

for new government bonds first time in four years. the abe administration also hopes to improve japan's fiscal standing. the new draft budget reduces reserve funds by about $11 billion. it also puts a cap on debt service costs. a whopping 46% of total revenues still come from bonds reflecting the dire fiscal condition. now let's get a check on the markets. tokyo stocks are moving in a tight range this morning. as investors are keeping an eye on currency moves, the nikkei is trading flat at 10,831. some investors are trading shares to lock in gain. the dollar is slightly losing

ground against the yen. the dollar against the yen is changing hands at 90.47 to 50. the euro/yen is also lower. that pair at 121.71 to 74. many market players are on the sidelines waiting for the release of u.s. gdp and jobs data later in the week. the kospi trading higher by .4 of a%. 1,948 and in australia the benchmark index is trading higher 4,873 this tuesday morning. the u.s. agriculture chief has welcomed japan's easing of impact restrictions on its country's beef. it gives u.s. cow farmers a bigger steake in the market.

they decided to allow imports of meat from american cattle aged 30 months or younger. the current limit is 20 months or younger and was set seven years ago to provent risks of bsc or mad cow disease. the u.s. will continue working on eliminating trade bar yours for high quality and safe u.s. food and agriculture products. the u.s. will keep trying to expend its exports. ron kirk called the decision a significant and historic step in expanding the american beef tradwith japan and along with it exports and jobs. that's the latest in business for this hour. here is a check on markets.

thousands of refugees have been landing in recent months on shores in southern thailand. they've been fleeing violence and persecution in myanmar. the muslims are a minority in e mainly buddhist country. nhk's world reports. >> reporter: i'm standing at the police station in the province. dozens of people are being kept here with no idea where they will be sent to next. they are survivors of a voyage. they drifted at sea for about

three weeks until finally they reached the coast of thailand. their boats were overcrowded. 1,500 made the journey in rough seas nearly 500 people were confirmed drowned in the last year. the death toll is believed to be much higher. >> translator: we were out of water, out of food, out of everything. we were forced to drink sea water until we were caught. almost everyone was unconscious when we were found and detained. >> translator: our homes were burnt down and we were told there is nowhere for us to live. so we decided to flee. if we hadn't, we would have been killed. >> violence last year killed about 170 people and displaced

as many as 100,000. an estimated 800,000 were living in the states. as confrontation with britain failed. they tried to flee to neighboring bangladesh, but they found no income there. another escapade takes them south to areas such as malaysia and southern thailand. they have put out to sea the sailing season, in october when the season ended and waters became literally calm. in thailand, 1,500 are in custody, including 200 women and children. the thais would normally deport them. but facing international pressure, they have stopped that

process for now. >> translator: we are to detain them until the government or other related agencies exceed in collaborating with other countries and we'll send them back. i must admit we're quite worried about this trend in increasing number of people. we have limited facilities. >> the fate of this 62-year-old man is questionable. he said he decided to flee after violence in myanmar. >> translator: our house was burnt down twice. our land, property and money were seized. i had nothing left, not even tears. i fled alone, leaving my family in myanmar. >> he was injured on the journey. he worries about what will happen to him. the worst outcome, he believes, would be deportation back to myanmar. >> translator: kill us here

because i can't go back to myanmar. may they protect us. i'm very worried about my family, but what can i do. >> the government is conducting a plan to remain on soil for six months. where they will go next is unknown. more boat people are expected to arrive in the coming weeks and months. they leave hostility and violence behind, but they are facing an uncertain future. nhk world. asia is home to rapid economic growth but the region is also the stage for an arms race. india has produced a ballistic missile that can be fired from a submarine. nhk world reports from new delhi.

>> reporter: the defense research and the development organization which works under india's defense ministry says they successfully testified a k-5 ballistic missile in the bay on sunday. the group says the missile has a range of 1,500 kilometers and is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. india aims to put a nuclear powered submarine into service and is expected to arm it with the newly developed missile. china's increasing influence in the region is behind the move to boost its presence in the indian ocean. china has been stepping up relations with india's neighbors, including pakistan, sri lanka, bangladesh and myanmar, by offering them infrastructure projects. india is concerned that china's roving military presence may spread beyond the straits into

the indian ocean. a key oil shipping lane. last year, india successfully test fired a ballistic missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers. it can cover most of asia. a military parade in new delhi the day before it tested the k-5. the country seems to be showing off its weapon development capabilities. china and pakistan are bolstering their military cooperation by engaging in joint exercises. while india is steadily upgrading its military on the back of its economic might. if india succeeds in arming its nuclear submarine with the k-5,

it will add a powerful option in its military strategy. the country's continuing missile program is likely to start. nhk world, new delhi. developed countries invest billions of dollars in aid every year to help developing nations. it's known as official development assistance or oda. and it can pay for everything from cleaning up water to putting up buildings to improving technology. nations that invest in africa gain better access to emerging markets and natural resources but japan's sluggish economy forced its leaders to cut oda. they slashed it to less than half of what it was at its peak in the 1990s. however, they're determined to maintain a presence so they've come up with a new strategy. nhk world explains.

>> reporter: senegal, western africa. for years, a japanese government agency called the japan international cooperation agency, has provided aid to the country. last year in this village, japan installed a system to purify water. the program helped. the system uses water. even though this is a project, a private company does the filtering free of charge. >> tasty. >> translator: now we don't get sick after drinking water. >> reporter: at the moment, the

group is working on the aid project with private companies. until recently, the agency planned the projects. then it commissioned private companies to carry them out. but the japanese government pays the bill. under the new system, it's the company that does all the planning. jica pays up to $560,000 in research fees. the other company pace the costs. they want to make sure it remains the same. what prompted this new aid strategy was competition from china. in recent years, it agrees to aid. this stadium is going up in zambia. china is financing it. the costs are $94 million. last summer, chinese authorities

announced that over the next three years, they will spend $20 billion on all the projects. that's double what they spend for the past three years. >> translator: we can't leave everything up to the government. we need to work with the private and nonprofit sectors to expand this program as much as possible. >> reporter: japan's aid strategy also benefits japanese companies. he works for the motorcycle maker that installed the water purification system. he had been working to cultivate the african market because jica provided research costs and data. was able to keep the company's costs down. furthermore, he's able to bring a collection to the locals which is a big benefit.

they hope this will result in more bike sales. >> translator: we want to use japanese government programs effectively. i think it's best for everyone. it's a win-win situation really. >> reporter: japan's smaller companies have fine technology that's very useful here. i think the project has great significance. over past three years, japan's strategy has resulted in completion of over 50 projects in african countries and other developing nations. ten more projects are in the works for this year. nhk world, senegal. rescuers are trying to reach hundreds of people stranded by floods in the australian state

of queensland. at least three people have died. a cyclone brought more than 500 millimetres of rain in 24 hours. more than 2,000 buildings in the town of vindeberg are submerged. a 23-year-old man was one of the victims. he was washed away in his car. they are using helicopters to rescue people from rooftops. over 2,000 businesses and houses have lost power. the weather was heart-breaking and this woman called for strength. >> whether it's floods or hurricanes, we are challenged by nature. but we are a nation, and we will get through this as we usually do by pulling together. >> australia has experienced extreme weather this summer. record heat waves this month saw temperatures top 40 degrees celcius. more than 100 wildfires broke out across the country. for more on what's happening across australia, we go to sayaka mori. >> significant amounts of rain has battered parts of the queensland.

about 850 millimeters has been observed over the past several days. now the rainmaker is situated for close to the sydney area. the good news is that the system will pull away from the land. conditions will improve by this afternoon across new south wales. as you can see within the next 48 hours rain will return to the coast of queensland. further flooding landslides will be a return. as for japan precipitation is snow rather than rain. we're seeing snow showers ongoing across the northwest. we have a high pressure system over the continent. we have a high mountain range in the middle of japan.

this is why we usually see dry weather across the pacific side and snowy weather across the of japan side. further snow could cause avalanches. now in north america, pacific storm is drifting into the west producing widespread snow showers across the mountains and rain across the coast. we have winter storm warnings and advisories posted here. we have another system spreading frozen precipitation and snow along the west canada border and similar situation is happening in the southern part of ontario, quebec and the north eastern states. to the south there will be severe weather in oklahoma tonight. the threat will also spread to the southern parts of the mississippi river valley and

parts of texas within the next 24 hours. we talked about bone chilling temperatures across the east last week. conditions are changing. you can see the jet stream moving further up toward warmer air to flow in from the south. temperatures are cooling down across the rest of the u.s. this is your forecast high for the next three days. new york city, 14 degrees expected on your wednesday. 19 in washington, d.c. on the same day. chicago 17 on tuesday. it will plummet to 3 on wednesday and go down to minus 7, so you may want to bundle up once again. finally in europe a massive storm system as strong as a hurricane is still with you. you can see the isobars are close to each other meaning strong winds are blowing. we have reports of 90 kilometers

of wind. southwest in england and wales you'll be dealing with rainfall in the next 24 hours. temperatures are going to be very mild across the west. 13 in london and 12 degrees in paris on tuesday. here is your extended forecast.

and that's all for this edition of "newsline." i'm catherine kobayashi in tokyo. thanks for joining us.